How life has changed in Wyre Forest

Wyre Forest's population increased by about 1,000 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population reached nearly 98,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Wyre Forest increased by 1.0%, from almost 97,000 to 98,000.

The addition of just under 1,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Wyre Forest was home to, on average, 3.6 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was similar to the average across the West Midlands

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the West Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Wyre Forest

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Wyre Forest increased by four years, from 40 to 44 years.

This area had a higher average age than the West Midlands and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 4,300 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 3,000.

About 15.0% of people in Wyre Forest are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wyre Forest by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer homes with adult children living with their parents

Wyre Forest saw England's second-largest fall in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just over 1 in 10 (10.3%) households in Wyre Forest had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 11.4% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 28.6% to 26.2%.

England's largest decrease in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents occurred in Hinckley and Bosworth (from 11.0% to 9.7%).

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was lower than across the West Midlands

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Disability in Wyre Forest

The percentage of Wyre Forest residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.1% to 4.1% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 14 (7.2%) reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 7.7% in 2001. The percentage of Wyre Forest residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 88.7%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 3.5% in 2001 to 4.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability in Wyre Forest increased by 1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

Wyre Forest saw the West Midlands' joint largest rise in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care, alongside Cannock Chase.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.7%) in Wyre Forest reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 2.0% in 2001. The percentage that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.1% to 1.4%.

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a rise in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care, as the regional average grew from 2.3% to 2.7%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Wyre Forest remained close to 2.7%

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wyre Forest by care, March 2001 and March 2011

More people living alone

Wyre Forest saw the West Midlands' third-largest rise in the proportion of one-person households.

In 2011, just under 3 in 10 (30.0%) households in Wyre Forest had only one person, compared with 26.9% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising an unmarried couple increased from 9.4% to 10.2%.

Across the region, only Staffordshire Moorlands (from 24.9% to 28.1%) and Stafford (from 26.1% to 29.2%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of one-person households.

During this period, Wyre Forest overtook nine local authority areas, including Rugby and East Staffordshire, to become the West Midlands local authority area with the eighth-highest percentage of one-person households.

The percentage of households with only one person was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Wyre Forest

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Wyre Forest was among those who said they had no religion, rising 12.1 points.

In 2011, 24.7% of respondents in Wyre Forest gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 12.7% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the West Midlands, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion and described themselves as having no religion increased from 13.3% to 23.5%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Wyre Forest, 73.6% said they were Christian, compared with 86.1% in 2001. About 0.8% said they were Muslim, compared with 0.6% a decade prior.

In Wyre Forest, 6.8% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across the West Midlands, 6.6% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as differing patterns of ageing or of moving to or from an area for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population that said they had no religion in Wyre Forest increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, West Midlands and Wyre Forest by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Wyre Forest that rented privately increased from 6.8% to 13.2% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over one in seven (14.4%) households lived in social housing, compared with 14.8% in 2001. The percentage of Wyre Forest households that owned their home decreased from 75.8% to 70.6%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 7.2% in 2001 to 14.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in Wyre Forest increased by 6.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Wyre Forest working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 13.3% to 10.0% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.8%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.7% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 12.5% in 2001 to 9.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13.0% to 10.1%.

Long hour working in Wyre Forest decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Wyre Forest residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.9% to 6.0% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (78.8%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67.5% in 2001. The percentage of Wyre Forest residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23.7% to 15.2%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 9.7% in 2001 to 6.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Wyre Forest decreased by 2.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More adults are separated from partners

The percentage of adults in Wyre Forest that had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased from 11.3% to 13.0% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under one in two (50.0%) people aged 16 and over said they were married, compared with 54.4% in 2001. The percentage of single people in Wyre Forest increased from 25.6% to 29.0%.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 10.1% in 2001 to 11.3% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 10.6% to 11.6%.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Wyre Forest residents that were unemployed increased from 3.0% to 4.2% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in two (52.6%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 55.7% in 2001. The percentage of Wyre Forest residents that were self-employed increased from 8.8% to 9.7%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 3.8% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Wyre Forest increased by 1.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Wyre Forest

In 2011, 97.2% of Wyre Forest residents said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, making it the most common ethnicity in this local authority area. The population from these groups has increased from 98.2% in 2001.

Across the West Midlands, the percentage of people from one of the White ethnic groups decreased from 88.7% to 82.7%, while across England the percentage went from 90.7% to 85.1%.

Around 1.4% of people in Wyre Forest said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, compared with 1.0% in 2001. About 1.0% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 0.6% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 0.2% to 0.2%.

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as differing patterns of ageing or of moving to or from an area for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from one of the White ethnic groups in Wyre Forest remained close to 97.2%

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wyre Forest by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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